Custom Henchmen

I searched the forums found nothing about this so I figured I'd write about it.

One of the things I have been just daydreaming hoping they would do in an update or an expansion would be to allow you to well... customize your henchmen.

Give you 8 slots to save your henchmen, keep the names and everything, and use the current system of inviting them. Just make all the henchmen like villagers and stuff and then after you invite them they become your custom henchmen.

After killin lich multiple times and experiencing all forms of pvp and builds this would be an all new adventure for players.

Make a whole interface similar to that of a pvp character creation for each henchmen. As far as skills, the henchmen already use a certain preset of skills, it could simply be those skills are already unlocked. Of course what good would customizing be if you didn't get to add your own personal touch so I would suggest in addition to previously used skills your henchmen have access to all skills you've unlocked.

Now your probably thinking but wouldn't this make players obsolete? In my opinion, henchmen are better than players most of the time as is. People still group with people though. Mostly because its more fun that way, workin with henchies can only be so fun. Customizing them would make them more fun to use but people would still group with players.

Some people might be thinking that would take so much programming and work to do. Think about it, when you fight your doppleganger at augury rock what do you think he is? I'd say hes a pretty much customized henchmen since he mirrors you and he's run by program. Obviously most people beat their mirror because they can outsmart the programming. Nobody would expect the customized henchmen to play like super unique builds that require careful preparation and combos, the current doppleganger programming would work just fine.

To take it a step further, there could be an 8 v 8 arena for strictly your henchmen team. This would be like a completely different aspect of the game that I would find about as fun as the real thing. This arena would be a real test of your experience because not only can you only use skills you've unlocked on all 8 players, but you are 100% responsible for making your own builds that will work together with a manageable amount of skills.

Think about it, I'd be thrilled if they added something like this, what is everyone else's input.

Couldn't you just make 7 monks and become invincible? This is a bad idea.

Well yeah that would be a flaw in the arena, but like sure if you wanna make 7 monks I doubt you could kill anything if there was a healer in the area..

what? Each henchmen is class specific, you cant have 7 monks.

it'd be two warriors a protection and a healer monk an ele a mes a necro and a ranger

I thought about something similar a while back but never mentioned it.

Being able to set the henchmens skills when you pick them from the line up.

I want to stop dunham using that awful sounding skill he uses when you stand still for a while. Constantly repeating horrible sound.

As for Thoms charge skill...pfff, does he know what it's actually for?

Custom henchmen...i like the idea.

I thought he meant that you could even change the classes of the henchmen. Nevermind then.

Haha, I would love this, but it would definitely screw over the players who are coming through on their n/r or whatever class is discriminated against in PvE these days, and don't know anything about the game.

I actually did intend to be able to change the henchmen's professions, even give them second professions. Even without that ability the fact that you could mix up there skills for a change of pace would be nice. The henchmen are jsut boring given they all but use the exact same skills the whole game. If you fight the mage henchmen leaving pre-searing he casts fireball and fire storm.... group with him in hell's precipice hes casting fireball and fire storm...

How about just 2 henchies for each class lined up, you can choose their secondaries and so on?

That would be good, ele makes a better prot anyway!

Keep in mind that we could mostly make the most efficient henchies (skills that the AE properly uses since there is little "guess work" or timing required for max effect.